On the Art of the Cinema
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 영화예술론 |
| Hancha | 映畵藝術論 |
| Revised Romanization | Yeonghwa yesullon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yŏnghwa yesul ron |
Cover page of the English edition of On the Art of the Cinema
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| Author | Kim Jong-il |
| Country | North Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Subject |
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| Published |
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| Media type | |
| Pages | 410 (Korean ed.) 329 (English ed.) |
| OCLC | 22903260 |
On the Art of the Cinema (Korean: 영화예술론, lit. 'Film Art Theory') is a 1973 treatise by the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. It is considered the most authoritative work on North Korean filmmaking.
The book sets forth several original theories, which can be applied to the practices of filmmaking, the arts, and beyond. Of these the theory of literature as "humanics" and the "seed theory" are the most important ones. Humanics centers on the question of a good and worthy life. In art, it emphasizes truly independent individuals who are capable of transforming society. The seed theory has become essential to North Korean film theory. It seeks to direct all artistic creation through a single ideological foundation, or "seed". In an individual work, the seed is the synthesis of its subject matter and idea and the basis of its propaganda message. These ideas complement the themes of nationalistic form and socialist content of films. Many ideas presented in the book are justifications for the creation of propaganda supporting the Workers' Party of Korea's policies.
On the Art of the Cinema had major political implications on Kim Jong-il's succession of Kim Il-sung. Kim Jong-il gained political and cultural influence in North Korean society and government by authoring the book.
The impact of On the Art of the Cinema on North Korean filmmaking is disputed. Films from before and after the publication of the treatise are similar in style and many contemporary films breach various rules laid out in the treatise.
After graduating from Kim Il-sung University in 1964, Kim Jong-il devoted himself to cultural, ideological and propaganda work at the Department of Organization and Guidance of the Central Committee of the party. Although Kim is known to have been privately interested in Hollywood films, he forbade discussion on foreign film concepts at the Aesthetic Review Meeting, an important annual film conference. After he had ordered the entire conference archive to be destroyed, Kim urged participants to be exclusively concerned with the teachings of Kim Il-sung and the party in creative work. Since then, Kim Jong-il's influence in film and literary administration grew, and he resisted liberal artistic influence from the de-Stalinizing Soviet Union. From 1968, Kim began to work on film adaptations of guerilla plays originating from the 1930s. Kim had personally guided the production of films, such as Sea of Blood, (parts one and two, 1969),The Fate of a Self-Defence Corps Man (Chosŏn'gŭl: 한 자위단원의 운명; MR: Han chawi tanwŏn ŭi unmyŏng, 1970) and The Flower Girl (1972). Afterwards, Kim Jong-il began producing revolutionary operas. Kim had worked in the government arts administration for almost ten years by this time. He then wrote a series of essays based on speeches he had given to directors and screenwriters over the preceding five years, and published it as On the Art of the Cinema on April 11, 1973. It was his first major work. Through the rest of the 1970s, Kim continued to oversee cultural activities.
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